JABALPUR

also spelled Jubbulpore city, central Madhya Pradesh state, central India. Jabalpur lies just north of the Narmada River in a rocky basin surrounded by low hills that are dotted with lakes and temples. On one of the hills stands the Madan Mahal, an old Gond castle. Garha, just west, was the chief city of the four independent Gond kingdoms that arose in the 14th century. Jabalpur was selected as Maratha headquarters in 1781, and it later became the British commission headquarters of Saugor and Narmada territories. It was constituted a municipality in 1864. One of the largest cities in the state, Jabalpur is located at a major road and rail junction. The city is a military headquarters, containing the central gun-carriage factory, an ordnance factory, and an ammunition depot. Its major industries include food processing, sawmilling, and varied manufactures. The city has the state high court and is the seat of the Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University (1964). The surrounding region includes the Haveli, an extremely fertile wheat-growing area at the western end of the Narmada River valley. Rice, jowar (sorghum), gram, and oilseeds are other important crops. Iron-ore, limestone, bauxite, clay, fireclay, steatite, feldspar, manganese, and ocher deposits are extensively worked. The region also abounds in Buddhist, Hindu, and Jaina ruins. The Narmada River runs 11 miles (18 km) south-southwest of town. After forming the Dhuandhar waterfall, the river passes through the famous Marble Rocks, which are an attraction to tourists. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 739,961.